By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Roger Winge knew a good deal when he spotted one. Before Super Wal-Mart had announced plans to set foot in Waynesville, Winge, a local realtor, took one look at the 30-acre former industrial site…

The race for the Sylva town board this fall could speak volumes about the changing demographics of the town — namely whether the downtown scene dominated by a young, perhaps more progressive, clientele is truly where the town’s heart is.

By Arthur Hancock Anyone who is among the living has hope — even a live dog is better off than a dead lion. — Ecclesiastes 9:4 Do you agree with the following sentence? The survival of the human race is…

Jackson County residents opposed to the construction of the Southern Loop — a new major highway that would bisect Jackson County — are gearing up for a fight with the N.C. Department of Transportation to halt the slow but steady…

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Supreme Court ruled Saturday that a new election will not be held on the Qualla Boundary, putting to rest a month-long debate filled with accusations of eligible voters…

Duke Energy must get a permit from the N.C. Division of Water Quality before it can tear down the Dillsboro dam. There has been a good deal of confusion over whether the state already issued this permit or not —…

A decade of debate over where to build a new library in Jackson County was put to rest this week. County commissioners voted 3-2 Monday night (Oct. 1) to build a new library next to the historic courthouse overlooking downtown…

By Armando Basulto • Guest Writer There is something vaguely depressing about watching your nostalgia for your adolescent years transformed into a VH1 “We Love the 70’s-80’s” special. Realizing the years of high school memories you hoped to keep precious…

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer The roar of motorcycles is a familiar sound in the mountains of Western North Carolina. And for many business owners, it’s music to their ears. Bikers mean warm bodies to occupy beds, eat in…

By Michael Beadle If you’re lucky enough to visit the Flying Cat Studio just off U.S. 276 in Jonathan Creek, you might get a glimpse of Spike, the mischievous mixed breed cat who’s been known to paw on the switch…

By Marsha Crites • Guest Columnist Much has been written in this paper and others about what is causing our gorgeous hemlock trees to die and what steps one can take to forestall or halt the disease. Rather than belabor…

When Doug Anderson unfurled the blueprints for his latest assignment — a new Bojangles’ going up in Waynesville — he was expecting the same cookie-cutter design as the last 10 Bojangles’ his construction company built.

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Voters can thank the recently formed Haywood County League of Women Voters for the opportunity to hear what each Waynesville mayor candidate had to say about the important issues in the Nov. 6 race.

There’s one fundamental reason the Southern Loop needs more discussion before it is considered a done deal — the simple fact that the citizens whose tax dollars pay for roads should, ultimately, decide the transportation future of the community in…

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Advertising was the hot topic of discussion at the second meeting of the recently re-organized Swain County Tourism Development Authority on Sept. 26. The board was presented with a range of magazine options, courtesy…

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Over 50 people came out to hear Waynesville’s next mayor speak at the this election season’s first mayor’s forum, held by the recently formed chapter of the League of Women Voters.

Raising Sand Duet albums are about as original as cheeseburgers, but this one has stayed in my car’s disc player for days now. A co-worker left Raising Sand on my desk Friday, and I’ve been listening to the collaboration between…

By David Curtis The 21st Century arrived at the Curtis residence this past Friday. We have evolved from caveman, cavewoman and cave children into the cellular age. Yes, our foreheads no longer slant and we can now stand erect while…

Bands just have to stick with it. Whether on the grand scale of being a signed, touring group or one whose “tour” constitutes a weekend long stand at the two or three bars populating the local main drag, giving in…

By Stephanie Wampler With a long flash of silver, the golf club revolved in a wide, smooth arc. The glinting club head cut through the air. Splat! It crashed against the tiny tomato and there was an explosion of juice…

The Pesthouse by Jim Crace. Nan A. Talese, 2007. 255 pages “Let’s drop the big one and see what happens.” This refrain from Randy Newman’s song “Political Science” could serve as the tagline for the whole realm of apocalyptic fiction.

When I was growing up in the tobacco-farming portion of the southern Virginia piedmont, there were many haunted outbuildings throughout the region. My friends and I knew they were haunted because we would nightly, from early spring into early fall,…

A program on the local seed lending library in Jackson County will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 8 at the county extension office. The program is sponsored by the Jackson/Swain Master Gardner Association and the speaker will be…

Dr. Dan Pittillo will lead a two-part workshop on plant identification beginning at 10 a.m. on Aug. 6 at the Highlands Biological Station. The morning session (10 a.m.-noon) will be a review of plant structure, then a picnic lunch (bring…

The Highlands Botanical Garden will offer a free tour focusing on carnivorous plants of the Southern Appalachians at 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 13. The tour is one of the regular free garden tours the Highlands Nature Center offers of its…

The Daniel Boone Scramble 15k Trail Run will take place on Aug. 11 at Camp Daniel Boone in Haywood County. The Daniel Boone Scramble has a variety of terrain for runners to negotiate. “Their shoes will hit single track dirt,…

Joe Wiegand, regarded as the nation’s premiere Theodore Roosevelt impersonator, will bring the conservation-minded president to life during a fundraising dinner for the Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance at 7 p.m. on Aug. 11 at the Cedar Creek Racquet Club. Wiegand brings…

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) — to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the completion of the AT — is hosting a video contest to find out what people love most about the A.T. The contest entitled “Why Do You Love…

Visitation to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is on the rise, a good sign for Western North Carolina counties who depend on the park as a key cog in the tourism industry. June was up 7.2 percent over the…

The third annual Main Street Mile will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 10 in downtown Waynesville. The event is followed by a post-race party with food, drinks, children’s games and activities, and live music. All proceeds go directly…

Seven members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee and 16 members of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma recently participated in “Remember the Removal,” riding 950 miles of the Trail of Tears on bicycles. The RTR riders, who biked up to…

Legend has it that curious fishermen watching trout seemingly disappear into Humpback Mountain back in 1822 discovered an entrance into what is now known as Linville Caverns. Henry E. Colton of eastern North Carolina and once a state geologist for…

By Jack Moore • Contributor J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “Not all those who wander are lost,” and he may as well have been writing about bicycle tourists. This time of year in the Smokies it’s not uncommon to see a cyclist,…

Stephanie Powell Watts will read from her new collection of short stories, We Are Taking Only What We Need, at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 2 at City Lights Bookstore. Most of the stories in this collection are set in North…

Contributors of the Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel Literary Journal will visit City Lights Bookstore at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 3, to share their featured work. The journal focuses on Appalachian writers with the most recent volume being co-edited…

Rutherford County resident and New York Times bestselling author Kay Hooper will visit regional bookstores this week to read from her new book, Haven. Hooper will appear at Blue Ridge Books and News in Waynesville at 6:30 p.m. on Aug.…

The Haywood Friends of the Library‘s Annual Book Sale will go into the second week on Aug. 3-4. On Friday, Aug. 3, all books left from the first three-day sale will be half price. The following day, there will be…

Well, kind hearts, here we are in the fourth of a five-book series. At the risk of being accused of indulging in extravagant praise, I must begin with words like “amazing, astonishing,” and yes, even “spellbinding.” All of George R. R.…

To the Editor: Albert Einstein, who was a genius both in mathematics and in understanding human motivation, said the following: “... Leaders came to their power not by their ability to think and to make decisions, but by their faculty…

To the Editor: I live at the head of Tilley Creek, where my family has been since the early 1800s, so I have a keen interest in what happens up here. I have worked very hard since returning to my home…

To the Editor: Having read about the dispute of the barking dogs and a push for a county-wide ordinance, I have to make a comment or two regarding this issue. Number one it is always wise to look and listen…

To the Editor: Republicans in Raleigh and Washington who want to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act — and those who vote for them — would be doing away with the following benefits to us which are now in place:…

By John Beckman • Guest Columnist I’ve read the letters regarding the barking dogs issue and the responses from both sides. It’s clear to me that the central issue is not dogs at all, but how Jackson County and the…